Hannah Seo, a scholarship winner last year, will be performing. Photo / Supplied
Hannah Seo, a scholarship winner last year, will be performing. Photo / Supplied
Youth will be sharing their hard work and talents to help raise funds for those with similar passions.
A Gift of Music will be held at Western Heights High School on Sunday, October 3.
Organiser Elizabeth Pilaar says this is the fifth annual concert, which is both a showcase of Rotorua youth talent across the arts and a fundraiser for the Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund.
Avani Bourne will be dancing in the concert. Photo / Supplied
This fund is managed by Geyser Community Foundation and the interest from the fund is given back to the community in the form of scholarships.
"This year we have been able to award five young musicians $500 each to help them in their musical endeavours - four from Rotorua and one from Taupō, and we will be awarding them their certificates at the concert."
She says two of the winners are only 14 and there is one year 12 and two year 13 students.
"It was a challenge choosing just five from the 17 excellent applications we received.
The first Gift of Music concert, in November 2017, was just five months after Michael Pilaar died in June of melanoma - that's now over four years ago.
Michael was a talented musician passionate about sharing his love for people and music. He was 19.
The variety concert includes ballet dancers, violinists, pianists, and solo singers.
Elizabeth says the variety of performances in the concerts is always a delight and ensures there is something for everyone to enjoy, and that the quality of the young musicians is encouraging and uplifting to experience.
"It's a real highlight for us, as Michael's parents, to be able to award this money to support young local musicians. It helps to keep Michael's legacy alive and real and pertinent.
An untreatable melanoma cut short the life of talented musician Michael Pilaar. Photo / Supplied
"It's the parable of a seed dying to bring forth new life, and this is what we look forward to seeing - musicians having opportunities because of these scholarships that they might not have had otherwise.
"We believe the performing arts can bring meaning, fun, depth and focus to the lives of those who perform and to their audience, and are always grateful and excited when young musicians are willing to share their talents at our concerts.
"We hope all those who come will love it."
She says this year's concert has been a real challenge to organise with Covid alert levels changing.
"It's all happening very last minute as we really didn't know if we would be able to proceed until the announcement on Monday this week - we could only go ahead once the level 2 restrictions eased to allow 100 people indoors because 50 people would have been too limiting.
"As it is we are unable to have choirs singing because of the risk of group singing, and the jazz band is unable to take part this year.
"There's still the risk it will all be cancelled but we're going ahead for now, hoping we will be able to come together on the 3rd [of October]. If it is cancelled, any tickets bought can be reimbursed by emailing us - our email is on the ticket and poster."
The details - What: A Gift of Music concert - When: Sunday, October 3, 2pm - Where: Western Heights High School - Tickets: Limited door sales, $15 adults, $5 school-age children
